Curious Cases Of Food Concocting

Maybe it was the Coney Island with cheese and grape jelly that put you off hot dogs for so many years. Maybe you had a bad bout with Jello and whipped cream. Strange food combinations can be life-enhancing; ask devotees of peanut butter cups. But sometimes comestible mashups signal something deeper — as a recent survey of college students reveals. Reported in Psychology Today, a food-mixing practice known as "concocting" is common among people with symptoms of binge eating disorder. Examples include "mayonnaise with cheese, beans, ketchup and beef," "mashed potatoes with Oreos" and chocolate, pickles and peanut butter — also with Oreos.